1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a condiment holder and, more particularly, to condiment holders which are commonly known as frost top units which give the appearance that the individual condiments are resting in ice.
Specifically, the present invention relates to improvements over prior art frost top condiment holders used extensively for displaying condiments or other foods for self-service of such foods in many restaurants.
For the past few years, the addition of self-service salad bars in restaurants of all types have shown a tremendous increase. One of the attractive features of many salad bars is produced by what is commonly known as a frost top unit which is basically a refrigerated plate which frosts so as to give the appearance of the salad as well as the additional condiments, vegetables and dressing and the like resting in ice. However, while such frost top units have been successful in providing salad bar displays with a pleasing appearance, among the disadvantages or problems of these presently used food holding and displaying devices includes the manufacture of the frost top plate as a flat solid tray which cannot effectively hold the individual foods in one place thereby allowing the individual food items to be moved around to a position other than one which allows convenient self-service or a visually pleasing display. Similarly, condiments which are supported in small containers resting on such frost top trays are not refrigerated throughout as only the bottom of such containers are in contact with the refrigerated plate. Still another disadvantage feature resides in the difficulty involved in cleaning such prior art frost top units.
2. Disclosure Statement
U.S. Pat. No. 2,248,467, issued July 8, 1941 to Scilken, discloses a refrigerated display fixture for perishable foods comprising a top section formed from a plurality of plates each having a refrigerant passage therethrough, the top section also containing therein tray openings formed by the arrangement of the spaced plates for allowing the placement of food-holding trays. The tray openings can further include tubular connecting elements connecting the refrigerant passages of the various spaced plates and may further be arranged below the top to come in contact with trays disposed within the tray openings. U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,874, issued Dec. 6, 1960 to Fitzgerald, discloses a cooling tray for food products and beverages for self-service in which the cooling tray includes a stepped base member for supporting containers holding said food or beverage and further including raised sidewalls to form a cooling box and a top plate member arranged to receive the containers through a plurality of apertures therein and to support these containers at points spaced above the base member, the base member being arranged to be seated in the proximity of laterally spaced portions of a continuous cooling coil in which the cooling coil is supplied with a refrigerant from a compressor-pump combination. A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,848, issued Jan. 19, 1971 to Johnson, which discloses a self-contained portable cooler for food receptacles in which the cooler houses a complete small mechanical refrigeration unit, the evaporator of which is arranged to support a food receptacle which is placed on a cooled plate contacting the evaporator unit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,309, patented July 10, 1951 to Stebbins, also discloses a refrigerator system for produce stands which are of the open top variety and in which the refrigerating units and supports therefor form the partitions by which the rack is divided into a plurality of independent generally rectangular open top bins or food display compartments. U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,339, issued Aug. 21, 1956 to Kundert, discloses an improvement for refrigerating or frost top plates described above in which the frosted top is placed in heat conducting contact with refrigerant conduits while the frame for the frost top plate is placed in heat conducting contact with warmed fluid to prevent frost from forming on the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,964, issued May 23, 1967 to Tripp, discloses a chemical flush system for use in cleaning and maintaining refrigeration equipment such as refrigerated cases used commercially in retail food stores. None of the above patents, however, recognizes the advantages of providing a condiment holder or refrigerated food display device, in general, with both a frosted top to provide cooling and a pleasing appearance as well as storage area below the frosted top which is also refrigerated to maintain the displayed foods fresh. Likewise, there is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art of combining such frost top condiment holders with a self-draining cleaning fluid flush system. While the Tripp patent adds a chemical flush system to a refrigerated display case, the display case of Tripp is unlike the frost top condiment holder of the present invention.